Protective device for wringer rolls



June 27, 1933. a. TINKHAM 1,915,702

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR WRINGER ROLLS Filed Oct. 5. 1931 &

Z /4 /.4 f Q :1 1" v /5 INVEN TOR.

1 W I /V A TTORNEYS Patented June 27,. 1933 UNITED STATES 1,9l5,702 PAT NT orries";

GUY L. TINKHAM, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, 'ro ennnminnrrmrins rare. co,

or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A OOR-IPORAEION OF DELAWARE PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR wnnvenn ROLLS Application filed October 5, 1931. Serial No. 567,027.

This inventionrelates to a protective device for washing machine wringers to prevent the fingers of an operator being caught between the wringer rolls.

One object of my invention is to provide p by the arrows in Fig. 2. This providesa a protective device which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and install, and effective in operation.

()ther and further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,in which Fig. 1 shows a washing machine having a wringer equipped with a protective device of 16 my invention;

Fig. 2 isan enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the protective device; and

F 4 shows one of thesprings to be hereinafter described.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the tub of the machineand :2 the wringer mechanism mounted above the tub in a manner for adjustment about 'a vertical axis at one side of the tub as in machines of this general character.

The wringer mechanism comprises an out-.,

side frame 3 forminga support for a pair of upper and lower wringer r0lls4, 5, horizontally disposed on shafts 8, 7 The rolls aremaintained in contact as shown in Fig. 2

. by a suitable spring tension 8 so that power them.

being appl'ied to one roll will. rotate both of in the drawings,l show the lower roll as the driving one being connected with the electric motor of the machine through a suitable drive. The latter may include a clutch device having a control member 9 whereby the wringer mechanism may be connectedto and disconnected from the motor Whenever desired. The clutch dev1cemay be of a character permitting reversibility of the V wrii 5o,

wringer rolls, or a reversible electric motor may be used if des red, in which case are.- versing clutch would not be employed.

The protective device of my invention comprises a pair of auxil ary or protectiverolls I 10, 11 arranged on opposite sides of the shown in Fig. 2. Rolls 10 and 11 rolls, as extend along the full length of the wringer rolls where exposed through the frame 3.and

are normally maintained in contact with the upper roll 4'by spring means to be presently described. By this arrangement, roll 4 when p the use of thejwringer.

wer mechanism in front of the wringer,

rotated rotates both protective rolls, the one on the front side of the wringer turning inwardly, while the one on the rear side ofthe wringer turns outwardly when the wringer rolls are rotated in the directions indicated feed into the wringer over the protective roll 10 and a feed out of the wringer over the roll 11. A reversal of rotation of the wringer rolls reverses the direction of this feed. With the protective rolls held in yieldable engagement with the wringer roll 4, the protective rolls will move out of contact therewith on the passing of any material between therolls. The protective rolls will turn at this time in the direction of the feed of the material as produced by the, squeezing action of the wringerrolls thereon. V j

Being yieldably mounted, the protective rolls will also move away from the wringer roll 4 should the fingers of the operator be inserted or caught between such rolls with no injury resulting because the protective rolls not being positively driven, will stop rotating ficiently large in diameter to occupy the.v

greater portion of the space between the wringer rolls and thus guard entry into the pass between such rolls, except over the protective rolls. Moreover, the protective rolls terminatesufliciently close to the lower roll 5 to provide such small clearance between them that the operators fingers cannot be 'caught by the wringer rolls if inserted into such space. This clearance cannot be enlarged because the protective rolls being in contact with the wringer roll 4 cannot be moved upward. While the clearance is small, it is suflicient for the protective rolls to be moved out ofcontact with the upper roll in The protective rolls are revolubly mounted on rods 12, 13, one for each roll. These rods are held in parallel relation with the axis of the wringer rolls by links 14, 15, there being a pair of links for each rod. I The links are at the opposite endsof their respective rods and are rigidly secured thereto. The links extend toward the axis of the lower wringer roll 5 and are pivotly mounted about'the same. This is accomplished by havingthe shaft 7 of the lower wringer roll pass through the links. The links for one rod overlap the links for the other rod where they are mounted on the wringer roll shaft.

The links of each pair are equal in length so that the distance between the axis of a protective roll and a wringer roll is uniform from end to end of the rolls. This maintains the rolls in parallel relation at all times and prevents displacement or canting of a protective roll to render it ineffective as a safety element or guard.

The spring means for normally holding the protective rolls against the upper wringer roll, and for returning the protective rolls to the wringer roll when moved away from the same, may take any form found suitable for the purpose. In the drawings, I have shown a stiff wire spring 16, one at each set of links. Each spring is preferably a single length of steel wire bent about rods 12, 13, and shaft 7 and under such tension as to constantly urge the protective rolls against the upper wringer roll. As shown in Fig. 4, the spring is shaped to have integrally connected sections, one for each protective roll, and provided with a loop 17 to fit about shaft 7.

When the wringer is reversed, the protective roll 9 on the rear side of the wringer becomes the feed in roll.

The details of structure and arrangement of arts shown and described may be vari ous y changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a Washing machine wringer having upper and lower wringer rolls, of a device to prevent the fingers of an operator being caught between I the wringer rolls, comprising a protective roll arranged in the space between the wringer rolls on the feed in side of the wringer, means providing a pivotal mounting for the protective roll about the axis of the lower wringer roll, and means acting through the pivotal mounting for yieldably holding the prfitective roll against the upper wringer IO 2. The combination with a washing machine wringer having upper and lower wringer rolls, of a device to prevent the fingers of an operator being caught between the wringer rolls, comprising a pair of protective rolls arranged on opposite sides of the wringer 1n the spaces between the wringer rolls, means providing a pivotal mounting for the protective rolls about the axis of the lower wringer roll, and means yieldably holding the protective rolls in contact with the upper wringer roll.

3. The comb'nation with a washing machine wringer having a supporting frame and upper and lower wringer rolls therein, of a rod arrangedon one side ofthewringer in front of the wringer rolls and extending along the'same, links pivotally mounted at their inner ends on the frame and having a non-rotative connection at their outer ends with the rod for holding the same against and wringer rolls thereon, of a rod arranged on one side of the wringer in front of the wringer rolls and extendmg along the same, links pivotally mounted at their lnner ends on the shaft of the lower wringer roll and having their outer ends rigidly secured to said rod, a protective roll revolubly mounted on said rod and located in the space between the wringer rolls to prevent the fingers of an operator being caught between them, and spring means yieldably holding the protective roll against the upper wringer roll.

5. The combination with a washing machine wringer having upper and lower shafts and rolls thereon, of a pair of rods on opposite sides of the wringer in front of the wringer rolls and extending along the same, a pair of links for each rod, said links having their out-er ends rigidly secured to their respective rods and their inner ends overlapping and pivotally mounted on the shaft of the lower wringer roll, and a pair of protective rolls, one revolubly mounted on each rod and located in the spaces between the wringer rolls, and spring means drawing the protective rolls toward each other and yieldably holding them against the upper wringer roll.

6. The combination with a washing machine wringer having a support and upper and lower wringer rolls therein, of a device to prevent the fingers of an operator #1 from being caught between the wringer rolls, comprising a pair of protective rolls arranged on opposite sides of the wringer in the spaces between the wringer rolls and extending along the same, a pair of rods, one for each protective roll and on which the protective rolls are rotatably mounted, a pair of links for each rod, said links having their outer ends connected to their respective rods and their inner ends pivotally mounted on the support, whereby the protec tive rolls may have movement toward and from the wringer rolls, and spring means acting on the rods through the links for drawing the protective rolls toward each other and yieldably holding them against the upper wringer roll.

In witness whereof, I hereto aflix my signature.

GUY L. TINKHAM. 

